Today's Press Event: Wow.
Friday, July 16, 2010 at 1:16PM I'm not sure we needed a press conference for Steve Jobs to tell a group of journalists that the issue people are experiencing with their phone, is merely the same thing that happens with other phones. Yes, he showed pictures of impressive testing chambers (chambers that are necessary to design the product to FCC specs, not some exotic choice on Apple's part). He also mentioned that "just" .55% of iPhone 4 buyers have called AppleCare to complain of the reception issue. Do most devices have over half of one percent of all owners call support within three weeks? That data might be more truthful and revealing.
If it's such a small number, then it shouldn't be an issue to appease those having the issue. Of course if it's an inherent design issue, then there isn't much you can do for those people until a different design is found.
What's the point of putting so much time into design if Jobs' "pet theory" is that iPhone 3G/3Gs drop fewer calls because they have cases?
All in all, it wasn't Jobs' best performance. There's something to be said for sticking to your guns, but just the way that it felt like the free bumper was being done begrudgingly, felt condescending to customers. If you want to surprise and delight, how about AppleCare for iPhone 4 buyers: build some confidence in the device, rather than offer a bulky plastic case to buyers for a limited time.
Reader Comments (13)
Not everyone uses or wants to use a case. I only use a case when I'm at the gym. This "fix" is a total joke. Anything less of a recall is a bust. Even MS knew when to bit the bullet and pay over a billion dollars to fix their broken Xbox360s. It's a sad day when MS takes care of its customers better than Apple.
This company and its CEO are in dire need of some humility.
I'm sad to see I was right- the "fix" is a free case. Isn't the point of the iPhone the beauty of design? Who wants to cover it up?
I think they were way to concerned with comparing(protecting) themselves to standards of "the rest of the industry". Apple users expect better.
A case is the perfect solution, the older iPhones all had "built in" cases... but the mistake was shaving off that case... the new iPhone is just too thin to be comfortable, so it's great Apple is going to build back in the case so it feels and works better.
The Apple bumper is amazing a true work of art...
Ryan, I'm disappointed in this article. There are assumptions mentioned that were directly addressed in the conference that you ignore in your post. (I followed the Macworld feed.) It's not the small number of people having the problem, it's the larger number of people who are screaming about it without having experienced the problem. There's a difference between spin and outright lies. It's like the idiots at CNN who make "the I-Phone problem" (sic) their top story instead of the capping of the oil spill. It's the stories that are spreading outright false information that are just as big a problem as the antenna issue itself.
It's not that the problem doesn't exist. Apple called a press conference given by Steve himself on this issue. That's completely without precedent. Steve said multiple times that the issue is real. They're sending engineers around the country to visit people with the problem. They're getting statistics from AT&T and AppleCare about the problem. They're acknowledging that this needs fixing. What more do you want?
As for people who don't want a case, I get that. It's a beautiful design. But I'd rather tastefully cover mine up than spend another $200 for an out of warranty replacement after I drop it. (And anybody who says "I don't drop it" is lying.)
Jobs is right, this entire thing has been blown out of proportion. Is it a black eye for Apple? Sure. Are there problems with the design? Definitely. But if you don't like the damn phone, then return it. It's that simple. You, the customer, must decide which is more important: all the other amazing things the iPhone has to offer, or your concerns about the antenna issue. There's no unicorn tears you can dip your phone into to make it magically better. Yes, Apple users expect better. Having a problem with your new favorite device sucks. But there's a hell of a lot of things that it does really, really well.
And that, ultimately, is why Apple is doing what it's doing. Because despite all these problems and all the bad press, they still can't keep up with demand. Why should they recall the phones when they can't sell enough of them already? People still want them. A recall just makes no sense whatsoever.
And to close, I think I'm going to offer a link to an appropriate post from the inimitable Crazy Apple Rumors Site: Steve Gives of Himself to Thankless Apple Customers. It's just as appropriate now, I think. Not because Apple is blameless. But because of all the reactions swirling around.
To Jamie and macgirl: Turn it in and get a refund. You neglected to mention that option. Go find another phone that works better for you.
Microsoft HAD to recall the XBox because of overheating and total system failure. That is a completely different issue to the overhyped media frenzy occurring agains Apple right now.
Speak with your wallet and buy something better. That's the solution for you. Let us know how that turns out.
For the record: My iPhone 4 does not have the death-grip issue and I'm left handed.
Dan, I don't think Ryan was suggesting a recall was necessary. His idea of offering Apple Care as a peace offering is a good-will move that Apple could use to show they are above and beyond the rest of the phone market.
The point here is, Apple prides itself on being different. "Think Different" is a concept that tells users that they are not "all the other guys out there". After following Apple most of my life, and being taught by them to expect more, it's sad to hear the response when something goes wrong is "well, no one else can fix it either". I am a loyal Apple customer, and I pay more for Apple products- it should work.
That said, I agree that anyone with signal problems should just return their phone. I don't keep any device, by Apple or otherwise, if it does not function properly.
Right. Sorry about conflating Jamie's comment and Ryan's post. But I still get the feeling that Ryan is saying that what Apple is doing isn't enough. And that seems to indicate a recall. You're still right— I shouldn't have assumed as much as I did, either.
And I'm not sure that offering AppleCare coverage would make a difference anyway. What good would it do to offer extra support next year when the problem exists now? They can always offer some kind of repair extension program if that becomes necessary. They've done that before plenty of times.
And speaking of which, all those problems with things that needed repair extensions... the iMac logic boards, the G4 batteries, and more, they never got as much attention as this antenna issue got. Sure, it's a different kind of problem. But the way some news places talk about it, you'd think it's the end of the world.
Also for the record: I think I've reproduced the issue on my own iPhone 4, in that I've seen the bars go down when holding the phone on the left side. But then, as I indicated above, I bought a case for my iPhone as soon as I found one available. (The store was sold out of cases when I picked up my phone.)
For the record I have purchased something better. A 3GS. According to Steve it drops less calls than iPhone 4.
Ryan, your post, unfortunately, is totally clueless. What's going on is this:
1) The iPhone 4 is incredibly successful. They can't make them fast enough to keep up with the demand. People around the world want them and will even pay extra to get them early.
2) The human body has an effect on ALL cell phones. If you took an old cell phone with a pull-out antenna, and held onto the antenna, the number of bars would go way down. When cell phones internalized the antennas, it was difficult to see the effect because most of the time you're too busy holding the phone to your face to be looking at bars. Here's a video showing it on a Nokia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amPG52DVQuk
3) To get better reception on the iPhone 4 (and it seems to have better reception than previous models), the iPhone antenna was internalized, allowing people to see where holding the phone could have an effect on reception, just like ALL cell phones.
4) Apple has grown through a series of successful products. Just putting the word "Apple" or "iPhone" on a website is going to draw hits. So some people--including media sources--will do ANYTHING, to get those words in their. Some just want to attack Apple with any chance they get. I won't accuse some media of outright lying, but their "according to one source" and without multiple verifications shows why journalism has fallen so far and people think that FOX actually reports news instead of slanted opinion.
5) The Consumer Reports tests were flawed and inaccurate. See: http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/07/13/radio_engineer_consumer_reports_iphone_4_testing_flawed.html
Even so, CR called the iPhone 4 the best smart phone available.
6) People who OWN the iPhone are just not complaining (except for half of 1%--that's less than 1 out of 100. Compare to X-Box which STILL has a 50%+ FAILURE rate). The people who ARE complaining are either in the media and trying to get hits or DON'T HAVE AN IPHONE. Don't take my word for it, look at all the "complaints" on line saying how terrible Apple is and how they won't buy an iPhone. You're complaining. Do YOU have an iPhone 4? Have you used one regularly?
The entire exercise today was NOT about fixing a flaw that exits in ALL cell phones. It was about shutting up self-righteous idiots who don't have an iPhone 4 and either a) want to get hits to their website, b) want to bring a successful company down, or c) are just iPhone haters.
So Apple, to deal with a PERCEPTION AND MEDIA ISSUE is spending 100-150 million (that's chump change to their 40 billion on hand) retail (the actual costs are much less, probably only 20-50 million) not for the actual users who are perfectly happy with their phones, but for the very few who have a problem. If that doesn't work, they'll give you your money back.
WHAT THE HELL ELSE DO YOU WANT?
Ya gotta problem? Try this. It didn't work? Sorry, here's your money back.
No, Ryan, be honest: Do you or do you not have an iPhone 4? Have you used one for a few weeks? Have you tried a "Bumper" on it and still had problems? If so, just take it back, get your money back, and STOP WHINING!
iPhone4 is by far the best phone in the World. From awesome apps to great OS navigation, to great call quality, amazing retina display, jaw dropping FaceTime video calling, great multitasking, dynamic game platform with the most games, best camera phone and in-phone HD video editing, longer lasting battery, best cut and paste, sublime design with best of class materials and build quality -this thing is built like a rolex, best media player with iTunes integration to read and watch podcasts galore - where else can one get iTunes University? I could go on and on, but it is the sum of it all what makes the iPhone 4 such a joy to use. So, really . . . Why anyone in their right frame of mind would want to return it?
Well, I figure there are crappy products made all the time ...and some people actually buy them - like from the 0.55% who called to inquire about antenna problems in their iPhones and may decide to return it. They would then get to enjoy a second rate, cheaply made, and butt ugly phone for two more years. I hope they get to enjoy their alternate experience.
Hi everybody,
Let's find some common ground here: first, this is at least as much a PR issue as it is a technical one. Would an inclusion of AppleCare done anything to address the actual issue? No, but it would it's a re-assurance, and a far better headline than CNN's current "Apple's iPhone 4 fix: A free case." The perception to the public is this is a widespread issue, and the way to deal with it, according to Apple, is to put it in a case. Secondly, while I'm sure cramming all of the different bluetooth/wifi/cellular antennas in increasingly smaller packages creates a real challenge, it is curious that this issue was never apparent on the original iPhone. (I stress apparent, as I have observed the bar drops on my 3GS when holding it in my regular fashion. In today's press conference, Jobs was asked if they were sacrificing function for the sake of form. Jobs said that wasn't the case, but frankly it is, even if it is for the whole industry: an external (old time "rubber ducky type) of antenna for the cell signal, and a second for wifi would make this problem disappear. None of us (myself included) want a phone that looks like that today. It's not that the problem can't be conquered, it's whether it can be conquered in a form that is agreeable to today's consumer.
And we can all agree, that if you aren't happy with the performance of the phone, return it. My only hesitation would be for those who may currently be in a strong signal area, but who may move, or find themselves somewhere with fewer bars, and then the issue would be problematic after the 30 day return window. That get's dangerously close to a rant on AT&T's service, but we can save that for another blog entry.
Polling suggestion; How many people here are having issues with there iPhone 4g? I have yet to see anyone ask that question. Are you listening CNET.
Look at the bright side! We might see an iPhone 5 very soon! :)